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PREFACE

TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION AT SENIOR CYCLE

Introduction

Technology education is an essential component of the curriculum. In a world where encounters with a wide range of technologies are part of the daily life experience of all people at work or at leisure, students should be equipped to face these encounters with the confidence which comes from learning about, through, and with a range of technologies. It is equally important that they gain an appreciation and understanding of the complex interface between technology and society. As citizens they should have the capacity to enter discussion about, and make personal judgements on, issues related to the impact of technology on their own lives, on society, and on the environment. Through technology education students grow in competence, grow in confidence, become more enterprising and are empowered in terms of their ability to control elements of the physical environment. These are important educational outcomes, which contribute significantly to the provision of a broad and balanced curriculum and illustrate why participation in technology education represents a valuable educational experience.

The nature of technology education

Technology is a distinct form of creative activity where human beings interact with their environments, using appropriate materials and processes in response to needs, wants and opportunities. It integrates problem solving and practical skills in the production of useful artefacts and systems. More specifically, the value of technology education comes from the use of the wide variety of abilities required to produce a drawing or make an artefact, leading to a sense of competence and a feeling of personal empowerment. The acquisition of manipulative skills is an important component of this sense of competence and can help to give students a feeling of control of their physical environment. In a rapidly changing global society, students need to appreciate that technological capability is necessary and relevant for all aspects of living and working. Many subjects can contribute to the development of a technological capability. However, the technology subjects, which incorporate the principles of design and realisation in a creative manner, are central to this development. Technological capability includes

• the understanding of appropriate concepts and processes
• skills of design and realisation
• the ability to apply knowledge and skills by thinking and acting confidently, imaginatively, creatively and with sensitivity
• the ability to evaluate technological activities, artefacts and systems critically and constructively.

Leaving Certificate technology subjects

Within the Leaving Certificate, technology education is provided through the subjects Architectural Technology, Engineering Technology, Design and Communication Graphics, and Technology, thereby providing progression with junior cycle. These subjects contribute to a broad, balanced and general education of students, with particular reference to their vocational, further education and training aspirations on completion of the Leaving Certificate. At a more practical level, the technology subjects at senior cycle share a number of common features. The syllabuses

• are constructed on the basis of core areas of study and optional areas of study, reflecting the different topics and sections within the subject area
• are offered at two levels, Ordinary and Higher
• have been designed for completion in 180 hours of class contact time
• place a strong emphasis on practical learning activity
• include a range of assessment components aimed at assessing student achievement in both practical and theoretical aspects of the subjects.

LEAVING CERTIFICATE TECHNOLOGY

INTRODUCTION AND RATIONALE

There is a growing awareness of the impact of technological developments on many aspects of people's lives. Leaving Certificate Technology, by virtue of its broad treatment of topics, should help students to respond confidently to a world that is characterised by rapid change in the social, economic, work and leisure environments. The syllabus is designed to enhance the students' ability to meet successfully the challenges they face in both their personal and their working lives. It is equally relevant to all students, whether they plan to proceed directly to employment or training, or to pursue further studies after completing Leaving Certificate. All students should become active participants in their own learning. Leaving Certificate Technology emphasises the use of knowledge, its practical application to real-life situations, and the interaction between thinking and doing. This puts decision making in the hands of the student, leading him or her to greater independence, self-confidence and personal satisfaction. The course encourages practical activities and the production of artefacts and systems as solutions to identified problems or briefs. Students taking this course should develop their problem-solving skills and a sense of responsibility for their own learning, and become self-directed, creative and autonomous learners, thus laying the foundation for lifelong learning. The development of technological capability, a central goal of technology education, can enable students to take advantage of present and emergent vocational opportunities and to become informed citizens in a rapidly changing world. This Leaving Certificate syllabus has been developed to provide greater progression from the junior cycle and should encourage more students to extend their experience of a technology education throughout their years at post-primary level. Its modular structure allows schools considerable opportunity to build on existing resources and expertise, and should enable more schools to provide a technology education for their students in the senior cycle.

AIMS

The general aims of technology education are

• to contribute to a balanced education, giving students a broad and challenging experience that will enable them to acquire a body of knowledge, understanding, cognitive and manipulative skills and competencies and so prepare them to be creative participants in a technological world
• to enable students to integrate such knowledge and skills, together with qualities of co-operative enquiry and reflective thought, in developing solutions to technological problems, with due regard for issues of health and safety
• to facilitate the development of a range of communication skills, which will encourage students to express their creativity in a practical and imaginative way, using a variety of forms: verbal, graphic, model, etc.
• to provide a context in which students can explore and appreciate the impact of past, present and future technologies on the economy, society and the environment.

The additional syllabus aims are

• to enable students become aware of the breadth of today's technology through their experience of its practical applications in the solution of everyday problems
• to enable students, through their experience and developed understanding of the technological process, to evaluate and judge critically existing products and the products of their own work from an aesthetic, technical, functional and ethical point of view.

OBJECTIVES

The following list summarises the syllabus objectives. Particular student learning outcomes are indicated in each section of the syllabus. The problem-solving dimension of the course emphasises skills and competencies; knowledge and understanding are the foundations for the process. Successful participation in the course should reflect in student attitudes to self and to the impact of technology on the social and environmental aspects of today's world.

On completion of the course, a student should

• know basic technological principles and facts and the terminology associated with technology
• understand, and be able to communicate, technological information in written verbal, graphic and mathematical forms
• understand the role of, and be able to apply, design principles in the solution of specific problems, using mathematical and scientific concepts where appropriate
• appreciate that technology impacts on our everyday lives and contributes to personal, social and economic development, and that technological solutions are linked with their specific cultural and environmental settings
• know and adhere to the health and safety requirements associated with planning and conducting practical work, and understand how these requirements, together with environmental considerations, affect the design of artefacts or systems
• be able to identify challenges and opportunities which can be met using a technological methodology, select appropriate methods for dealing with these and recognise the limitations and constraints of knowledge, time, resources and other factors which can restrict technological solutions to problems
• be able to work both independently and co-operatively in evaluating existing solutions and in proposing novel/creative solutions to technological challenges
• recognise that technological developments have resource implications, that resources need to be carefully managed and that developed societies have moral responsibilities in their appropriation of world resources
• be able to prepare and execute a plan for the realisation of an artefact or system as a solution to a technological problem or challenge, working accurately and safely with materials and equipment
• select and use appropriate materials, tools and equipment in the production of an artefact or system, according to a chosen design, in response to a given brief or an identified problem
• have developed a competence in the processing of materials
• be able to evaluate a completed artefact or system against its original specification, propose alterations and modifications at the design, implementation or completion stages to enhance its appearance or function
• be able to prepare and present a report in a concise, accurate and comprehensive manner.

STRUCTURE OF THE TECHNOLOGY SYLLABUS

CORE AND OPTIONS

The course consists of core areas of study, which all students must take, and five optional areas of study, of which each student must take two. Each candidate is also required to undertake a project, supported by appropriate reports.

The Core

The core is intended as a broad general introduction to the nature of technology. It is also intended to provide students with a consolidation, extension and refinement of the knowledge, skills and techniques acquired in the junior cycle. The main elements of the core are illustrated in the graphic below. Structure of the Core

A design-based approach, which is central to the core, requires students to relate their work to the logical steps of a systems approach in the solution of practical problems. This approach does not preclude ingenuity, creativity and intuition, nor is it intended that a design process be linear.

The main elements of a design-based approach--which combine cognitive and procedural knowledge, understanding and skill--are illustrated in the graphic below.

Technology, society and the environment

Technological activity includes human responsibility for decision and action. It is not intended that this be dealt with in isolation: it should permeate all aspects of the treatment of the course. It is intended to foster a sound understanding of technological developments and the changes brought about in industry, transport, health, communications, lifestyle, work and leisure as the result of these developments.

It is also intended to develop critical faculties in relation to the energy and resource implications of technological development. Students should appreciate that the manufacture and use of products have social and economic implications and they should develop sensitivity to human and environmental concerns, both local and global. They should appreciate that manufacturing processes, waste processing and storage may give rise to conflicting interests between those of the individual, the society and the environment. In particular, attention should be paid to the safe disposal of waste materials and the by-products of manufacturing processes in ways that protect the environment. Students should understand how legislation affects the consumer. Students should understand the functions of safety officers and the importance of legislation such as consumer law, health and safety, equal opportunities and data protection.

Health and safety in the work area

Throughout the course, safe working practices and recommended procedures must be observed. Students should be fully aware of the potential dangers of the various energy sources, machines, equipment and devices they use. They should be familiar with the location and correct use of safety equipment, be familiar with evacuation procedures in the event of an emergency, and know the location of emergency exits. They should maintain a safe working environment, applying appropriate safety precautions to avoid risks.

Options

The options provide an opportunity for students to undertake a more in-depth study of particular aspects of technology. Students must choose two of the following five options:

• Electronics and Control
• Applied Control Systems
• Information and Communications Technology
• Manufacturing Systems
• Materials Technology.

The Project

The project involves the design and production of an artefact and an accompanying folder. In undertaking the project, students combine knowledge and skills developed through their study of the core and chosen options. The project, which must be completed in school and be the unaided work of the student, should integrate the various elements of the study of technology and should represent the highest standard of knowledge and skills attained by the student. The folder should reflect all stages of the student's work from design to realisation, and should include an overall evaluation.

Differentiation between Ordinary and Higher levels

There are three main differences between Ordinary level and Higher level:

1. Depth and style of treatment:Ordinary level provides an overview of technology and its applications. Higher level involves a deeper and more analytical treatment.
2. Skills development: All students will be required to attain a wide range of skills. A more refined expression of these skills will be required at Higher level.
3. Range of syllabus material: In addition to the syllabus content required atOrdinary level, Higher level students will be required to study a broader range of subject matter. Elements designated for Higher level only are printed in black text throughout the syllabus. Presentation of Syllabus Content

Syllabus content for both core and options is presented in three columns:

• Topic
• Treatment of topic (students should learn about/to ... )
• Learning outcomes (students will be able to ... ).

Further details and suggestions for teaching methodology may be found in the accompanying Guidelines for Teachers.

ASSESSMENT

Assessment Components

The syllabus will be assessed in terms of its stated objectives at each of two levels, Ordinary and Higher, by means of a terminal examination paper and a project. The assessment weightings at each level are given in the table below.

ComponentSub-componentSection A: CoreExamination Paper[50%]Section B: OptionsArtefactProject[50%]Report/Portfolio

Terminal Examination Paper

There will be one examination paper at Ordinary level (2 hours) and one at Higher level (221 hours). At each level, the paper will be presented in two sections, as indicated in the table above. Since the Core is mandatory, students will be assessed on all main elements of the Core in part A of the examination paper. Part B will cater for the five Options and students will be required to answer questions related to two of these.

The Project

Students will be required to submit an artefact and a report/portfolio for assessment, based on a specified theme and within stated parameters. The project--which must be the unaided work of the student--should reflect his/her experience of the syllabus Core and Options and represent the highest standards of knowledge and skill attainable. In undertaking the project, students will be expected to analyse the brief or theme, conduct research into existing artefacts or part solutions and evaluate these, prepare outline designs of possible solutions, choose one--or an appropriate combination--of these for development and justify their choice, prepare a plan of manufacture, select and use appropriate materials and processes to produce the artefact or solution according to that plan, and evaluate the final product in the light of the original brief. In both the design and realization of the project, students must take due account of ergonomic and safety requirements. A more detailed treatment of assessment issues may be found in the Guidelines on Assessment and in the associated sample assessment materials for Leaving Certificate Technology.